Last Minute
by thelastenemy
Summary: There are only days until Christmas, and Lily has yet to find the perfect present for James. Little does she know, the gift may be closer to her heart than she thinks.
1. Just Friends

**I know I haven't written in a while, and for that I am deeply sorry. (Really, I missed it so much.) To be honest this isn't really new, I've had it written up for ages and just sitting on the back burner. I was really into the idea of putting it up for the holidays (posting it in August just wouldn't feel right). **

**I love James Potter, but sadly I cannot claim ownership. Instead, this totally awesome lady named J.K. Rowling created him. **

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><p>She'd really thought this would be easier. Certainly, if she'd realized how difficult it'd be just to buy James Potter a Christmas present, she wouldn't have put it off until now, when the option of sending for that mail-order Quidditch strategy kit was off the table. Lily glanced at her watch and cursed under her breath. An hour to curfew, and she was still empty-handed. Worst of all, she'd promised James she'd meet him for a drink in fifteen minutes before heading back up to the castle so this would have to be her last stop. Lily extracted a weathered piece of parchment from her pocket, and began to run through her options for the umpteenth time that day:<p>

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><p><strong><em>James' Christmas Present: Possibilities<em>**

_1. Tickets to the next Magpies match (bit out of my price range, Sirius will probably go for it)_

_2. Hangover Potion (I'd need to butter up Sluggy if I want to get my hands on the ingredients, but then he might coerce me into going to this year's Christmas party after all)_

_3. A bag of Zonko's merchandise (After last Tuesday, I think he has enough dungbombs!)_

_4. A nice snog (Good Godric, I'm going to kill Marlene)_

_5. those Self-Warming Socks from Gladrags (Thanks for mentioning that they're pink, Hestia)_

_6. A subscription to _Playwitch_ (How is it that Sirius manages to get into all of my things? He's going to need to get his act together, especially after I went to all that trouble getting him that bloody motorbike license.)_

_7. that box of Honeydukes chocolate I bought last week (The truffles are really good, and besides, he never shares his with me, does he?)_

_8. book on complex Transfiguration theory (As if James Potter wants books for Christmas…)_

_9. Quidditch strategy kit (It's too late, idiot!)_

_10. a new quill (bit boring, but he **is **always borrowing mine during Arithmancy)_

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><p>Lily pulled open the door to Scrivenshaft's with a mittened hand and ducked in quickly, relieved to escape the cold.<p>

"Hello there, Miss! How can I assist you today? We just got a lovely shipment of scented stationery and fast-drying ink," said the smiling young saleswitch from behind the counter.

"Oh –erm, I'm just looking for a Christmas present for someone. I was thinking a new quill -?"

"Ah, of course! That's our specialty. Why don't you come here and have a look," said the saleswitch kindly. She walked towards a glass display case in the center of the shop, unlocking it with a small brass key and pulling out several trays of brand new quills.

"Do you know what you're looking for, dear?" the saleswitch asked encouragingly, obviously aware of Lily's bewilderment at the number of options. Lily shook her head.

"If you could point me in the right direction -?" asked Lily, offering her an apologetic smile.

"Of course, of course! Well, first of all might I know whether you're purchasing a witch or a wizard?"

"Wizard," said Lily, wincing at the dazzling grin that immediately spread across the saleswitch's face.

"Ah," she said knowingly. "Is this…a young man?"

"Yes," replied Lily, avoiding her ecstatic gaze.

The saleswitch picked up a sleek black quill. "Hm, well I'd say your boyfriend would very much like this eagle feather quill. Distinguished, polished, very –"

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend!" exclaimed Lily. "We're just friends."

"Friends? Well, a peacock-feathered number like this is always good job of saying, 'I like where we are, but I'd like to be more!'" said the saleswitch, gesturing towards a large, colorful quill. "It's especially good for the extravagant type, you know."

"Er, I don't want to be more. We're just friends, and I'd like things to stay that way," said Lily uncomfortably.

"Oh!" said the saleswitch, as though this were very strange, indeed. "Well, a pheasant feather quill is always good for someone you don't know all that well," she said unenthusiastically, pointing out a striped brown quill. "It's practical, very durable. Not very interesting, but –"

"How about a 'very good friend'?" interrupted Lily, a bit annoyed.

"I suppose you could always go for the macaw feather. They're colorful, rare enough, that's what you're looking for, right?" The saleswitch sighed, pointing out a garishly bright feather.

"Er, do you have anything more subdued?" Lily asked tentatively. The saleswitch ran through at least twenty different quills, making Lily more anxious by the moment. None of them seemed _right_!

"Seagull feather, then? Not my favorite, personally –bit dull, aren't they?-but the quill holds ink well and the feather repels it quite nicely."

"What else have you got?"

"I hate to tell you this, miss, but it's past closing time. Why don't you come back when you're feeling more decisive?" She offered Lily a forced smile.

"Oh, erm, can you just let me look for a few more minutes? I really need to get this gift this weekend, it's for Christmas –" Lily blustered.

"I understand your rush, but I was supposed to close up shop ten minutes ago! Come back tomorrow," said the saleswitch.

"I can't come back tomorrow, I'm a student!" cried Lily urgently as the saleswitch began pushing her towards the door.

"I'm _very_ sorry about that. I suppose you'll just have to go somewhere else!" she said, closing the door. Lily pulled frantically at the handle.

"You don't understand, I really, _really _need this gift! It's really important!"

"Then perhaps you ought to have started shopping earlier!" she called.

Lily sighed, before making her way towards The Three Broomsticks. As soon as she swung open the door, she heard him call out to her.

"Lily! Oi, over here, Lily!" James had stood up by a booth near the far left side and was waving eagerly to her. Thinking about the present she hadn't bought, Lily walked towards him, forcing herself to smile casually at him. James pulled out her chair for her and she grinned gratefully at him before taking a seat. He whistled for Madam Rosmerta.

"What'll it be, dearies?" she asked, smiling widely at James. He gestured at Lily to go first.

"I'll have a Butterbeer, please," said Lily.

"Firewhiskey for me," said James. Lily punched him in the shoulder. "What, Lily?" He rolled his eyes and looked back at Rosmerta. "Just Butterbeer, then. This one's a bit of a stick in the mud," he whispered conspiratorially.

"Two Butterbeers coming up," said Rosmerta, winking at James flirtatiously. Lily frowned, more so when James ruffled his hair before turning to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"Wha –nothing, nothing's wrong," Lily said quickly, realizing she had been scowling. He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing's wrong!"

"Fine, fine, if you say so," said James, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "No need to get testy."

"I'm not testy!" Lily folded her arms across her chest. James smirked at her knowingly.

"Want to tell me why you're upset?"

"No!"

"That's fine. I had a lovely afternoon by the way, thanks for asking."

"I –what's in the bag?" Lily asked, curious. She'd only just noticed the large silvery bag filled with purple tissue paper beside him.

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies, in that bag, Lily, is your Christmas surprise," said James, grinning widely. Lily's heart sank in guilt.

"Honestly, James, back to the rhyming?" Lily demanded.

"Not my fault it bothers you so much –if it didn't, I might actually feel inclined to stop," said James.

"Fine," said Lily, rolling her eyes. "What is it?"

"Wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, would it? Besides, you're not being particularly generous with your words today, so why should I?" he shot back. Lily considered hexing him then and there just for being so _right. _

"Very well. How was your day, then? Did you have fun with the boys?"

"Loads. We went to Zonko's, the Shrieking Shack –"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, James, you know I hate it when you four go in there," said Lily disapprovingly.

"You know it's perfectly safe, Lily, come on! We just go in for a bit of a laugh," said James.

"I can't imagine that revisiting the place where he spends his most painful moments is 'a bit of a laugh' for Remus," said Lily pointedly. James' smile faded.

"He's never said anything about it!"

"Would you tell the three people willing to accept you for who you are, in a world where your entire kind is shunned, that you're not up to something that makes them happy?"

"Oh," said James quietly, looking stricken. "I didn't even think –" Lily shook her head.

"It's alright. I'm sure Remus knows you don't mean anything by it. Just –"

"Merlin, we're never going there on Hogsmeade trips again. I'm telling Padfoot we've got to cut it out –" muttered James, evidently disturbed. Lily put her hand over his.

"You really are a good person, James," she said. He laughed hollowly.

"Apparently, not good enough," he muttered, looking away.

"What do you mean –"

"Here are your Butterbeers!" Madam Rosmerta had arrived. She set down their drinks cheerfully. Lily reached into her pocket, but she'd already left. James smiled guiltily at her.

"Why aren't we paying for our drinks, James?" she asked suspiciously.

"Er, I may have paid before you got here so you wouldn't be pulling any of the 'I should pay for my own drink' nonsense."

"James, how many times have I told you that I don't want you paying for my drinks?"

"A gentleman always pays," said James.

"We're not on a _date,_" said Lily, exasperated. "You don't have to be a gentleman." James frowned slightly.

"Fine. I won't in the future. Now can you just enjoy your drink?" Lily grimaced but took a small sip.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Are you going to answer my question?"

"I forget the question," James said stiffly.

"What do you mean, 'not good enough'?" repeated Lily, slightly irritated at his attempt to avoid answering.

"I could be better. A better student, a better Head, a better man."

"_Better._ Since when has James Potter been all about self-improvement?"

"Since he realized it was the only way to get what he wanted," he said simply.

"Bit greedy, don't you think, considering you already have everything you want? Not to mention that some of the things you have, other people have only dreamed of," remarked Lily.

"Yeah, well there's still one more thing…I'm holding out for perfection," he said with a grin, though his searching gaze made Lily uncomfortable.

"What's that?" she asked quietly, her heart thudding in her chest. He smiled sadly.

"I think you already know," said James, hazel eyes boring into her own. Lily felt rather dizzy at the implication. Thoughts racing, she stood up.

"Lily, I-"

"I've just thought of something I have to do. I'll see you back at the castle." James got up.

"I'll come with you."

"No, no, you stay here. Just stay here, alright?" The desperation she was feeling must have crept into her voice, because James sank back down, sighing heavily.

"I'll see you later, James." He nodded, but said nothing. Lily all but ran out the door, dashing up the path and sprinting all the way up the steps of the castle. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath before making her way to Gryffindor tower as quickly as she could, and throwing herself into her old bed. Lily lay face down on the pillow for quite some time before she heard a voice.

"I take it the gift-shopping didn't go too well?" asked Marlene lightly.

"It certainly did not," Lily mumbled into her pillow. Her bed sank a bit, Marlene had sat down beside her.

"Poor dear, tell Marly everything," she said soothingly, rubbing Lily's back.

"I-I didn't get him anything –none of the stores had anything decent –Dervish and Bangs was _closed, _can you even imagine that? -and the woman at Scrivenshaft's was bloody irritating, trying to play matchmaker or something, and then I went to meet James and he's already gotten me something and then he had to go and tell me -" Lily stopped.

"Tell you what?" Marlene asked. Lily said nothing. "Tell you what, Lily?" Marlene repeated, eyes narrowing.

"I think he might still fancy me," moaned Lily, grabbing at her hair. Marlene's eyes widened. "Why in Merlin's name does he have to go and ruin everything? We're perfectly fine the way we are, and he just can't be satisfied until I-"

"Either admit you feel the same or stop leading him on?" offered Marlene.

"Wha-_no! _I –I don't feel the same way, and I'm certainly not leading him on!" cried Lily indignantly.

"No? Then why'd you even agree to go to the Three Broomsticks with him?" accused Marlene.

"That was strictly as friends, Marly, you know that. What, just because he's a bloke I can't have a drink with him without it being a big deal? That's ridiculous."

"What's also ridiculous is that you let him give you a foot massage the other day –"

"Oh for the love of Merlin, would everyone stop going _on _about that? It's enough having to listen to James prattle on about payback without everyone mentioning it to me every few minutes!"

"It was a little more than friendly," insisted Marlene.

"He offered," said Lily, blushing. "Alright, fine, I admit I may have let that go too far, but it was only because I wanted a massage. I should have thought that through a bit more. Aside from that, though, I've been perfectly clear where we stand –"

"What about when James got that Bludger to the head last month?" Marlene interjected.

"What about it?" Lily asked innocently.

"You literally spent every spare moment you had in the Hospital Wing until he recovered," Marlene said pointedly.

"I was worried, and rightfully so. Besides, it's not like I was there any more than Sirius or Remus."

"Perhaps, but your name was the only one he could remember when he first woke up, bar his own." Lily turned a bright red.

"We'd had an argument beforehand, his subconscious must have simply remembered it due to the trauma."

"Well, you simply have an answer for _everything, _don't you, Lily?" cried Marlene, rising from the bed.

"I'm just saying that I haven't done anything to make him think I wanted more than what we have now," said Lily defensively.

"Alright Lily, alright," snapped Marlene, clearly irritated. "But do you, or do you not, fancy James Potter?" Lily froze. Marlene's steely gaze didn't falter for a moment.

"I –I –"

"Well maybe once you can answer me without hesitating, I'll believe you. Until then, I suggest you take a good, hard look at yourself and find the _truth_. " Marlene grabbed her copy of _Witch Weekly _off the nightstand and stalked out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

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><p>"<em>Amor ordinem nescit<em>," whispered Lily quietly to the framed portrait of Cecily von Bleicken the Third, a girl around her age who, bedecked in a bright orange gown, giggled and waved uncontrollably from her frame whenever it was James who said the password. Lily knew it was absurd, but part of her hated Cecily, especially when, every now and then, James winked back at her. All Cecily ever sent Lily's way were vicious glares. The portrait swung open, but not before Cecily could stick her tongue out at Lily. The Head Girl was far too busy making sure she was alone, however, to notice.

Lily gave the Head's common room a brief scan before sighing in relief. James wasn't there. The last thing she needed was to run into him _now. _She moved quickly and quietly towards her bedroom when a groggy voice interrupted her.

"Lily?" She froze. It was James. He had evidently fallen asleep on the couch. His dark hair was even more of a mess than usual and he blinked blearily, hand clumsily grabbing at the coffee table for his glasses.

"Don't worry about it James –go back to sleep. That's what I'm doing. See you tomorrow!" she rushed out hurriedly, turning back towards her door.

"No –Lily, wait! I need to talk to you, that's why I waited up –" Lily darted into her room and closed her door quickly, leaning against it for support and sighing in relief.

She heard James let out a deep breath, before trudging to his own door and slamming it shut. She could almost imagine him grasping his hair in confusion and frustration, and her heart twinged guiltily. What kind of Gryffindor was she, hiding in her room like this? _In my defense, _Lily thought darkly, _I doubt Godric Gryffindor was ever in this particular situation. _

_You'll have to face him eventually, Lily. Might as well be sooner than later, and the truth –whatever it may be –has to come out. _

Lily pulled out her chair and sat down at her desk. She had a lot of work to do.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed that! Next (and final) chapter coming very soon. <strong>

**Stay magical (and merry),**

**Leenie**

**P.S. Yes, I will be updating _Completely and Utterly _soon. VERY VERY SOON. I've just been having a bit of writer's block, to be honest, and not sleeping has kind of taken more of a toll than I'd like. **


	2. Shut up, Marlene!

**Here's the rest. To be honest, I was going to wait, but I simply didn't have the patience. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Christmas morning dawned cool and bright at Hogwarts. When Lily opened her door, still clad in her flannel pajama bottoms and a Weird Sisters tank top, she found the Head's common room decorated from top to bottom in tinsel and holly, with a giant Christmas tree in the very center. The baubles all featured either the Hogwarts Crest or one of the four founders, and at the foot of the evergreen lay a mountainous stack of presents. She grinned widely, and couldn't help the small bubble of joyous laughter that escaped her as she knelt down beside the pile.<p>

"Oi, they're not all yours, Evans," said a deep voice from behind her. Lily jumped back, startled. He was still in the middle of pulling on a jumper over his faded Gryffindor t-shirt, and Lily's eyes could not help but drift to his naked torso when the innocent action of adjusting his shirt momentarily exposed it. She her head back to face him, blushing, just as he was readjusting his glasses from their crooked perch on his nose.

"Lily, I-" James began, but Lily wasn't ready for this. Not yet, at least.

"Well I don't know about you, but I, for one, cannot _wait _to open these," interrupted Lily. James' face fell.

"Okay. Why don't you start then," he said at last, gesturing to the gifts and taking a seat beside her.

Lily picked up a particularly heavy square package neatly wrapped in shiny green paper with her name scrawled in thin script across the top. She smiled broadly as she peeled it back to reveal a set of advanced Charms spellbooks from Remus.

"I've been eyeing these for weeks," she said, thumbing eagerly through the first.

"Leave it to Moony," muttered James. Lily ignored his comment and picked up another package. It was boxy in shape yet there was an oddly soft lump at the very top. It was addressed to James, in incredibly loopy cursive. She handed it to him.

He blushed slightly. "It's from my mum," he said, before tearing it open to reveal a tin of homemade Pumpkin Pasties and a garish purple hat complete with orange earflaps, explaining the lump. He threw the hat to the side and lifted the lid of the tin, offering it to Lily. "I swear they're not poisoned. My mum's an excellent cook, if not the best knitter," he said, gesturing to the hat. Lily took one. It was scrumptious, and she felt warm from head to toe.

"These are amazing!" she exclaimed, eyes glowing.

"Amazing," James repeated, and when they made eye contact, Lily had the funniest feeling he wasn't talking about his mum's Pasties. She quickly grabbed the knitted hat and offered it to James.

"Aren't you going to try it on?" James scowled. Lily smirked, bringing it closer to his face. "Come on, James, think how much effort your mum must have put into this." He backed up and put his hands in front of him in caution.

"There is no way you will ever see me in that hat," he proclaimed.

"Is that so?" she asked, pulling the tin of Pasties close to her now. "Try it on, or the Pasties get it," she threatened. James' eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't," he declared. Lily picked one up and poised it in front of her lips.

"Don't be so sure. I'm a growing girl, and Pumpkin Pasties happen to be my favorite," she said, grinning. "Now get over here." Shoulders slumped, James inched warily closer and allowed her to tug the hat over his ears. "Smile!"

"Wha-?" Lily had snapped a picture of James. Blinking rapidly, James' expression changed from one of shock and confusion to mortification.

"Lily, give me that camera."

"What camera?" she asked innocently.

"The one you just used to take a picture of me in this hat," he said, not willing to play any games with her on this matter. She showed him her empty hands.

"No cameras here, James. I'd be careful not to get on my bad side from now on, though," said Lily, grinning impishly. In fact, she'd placed a Concealment Charm on the camera and stashed it by the fireplace to retrieve later. She'd been meaning to get back at James for that picture of her asleep in the library for months.

"Don't worry so much," said Lily soothingly. "It looks cute, anyways." James' hand, which had been halfway up to wrenching the hat off his head, dropped and he flushed deeply.

From Marlene, Lily received a makeup kit that automatically adjusted its coloring to best suit your skin tone and the lighting. Alice and Frank had sent her a mitten and earmuff set charmed to warm the wearer in the cold. Hestia had given her a copy of Toil and Trouble, the newest Weird Sisters album. Her parents had gotten her a pretty green dress she couldn't wait to try on, as well as quite a few new Muggle books. Petunia's present was a bright pink skirt far too short for Lily's taste, and also familiar enough that Lily suspected she'd seen Tuney in it. Peter's gift was a jumbo box of Chocolate Frogs. A particularly messy and lumpy package wrapped in lurid orange turned out to be from Sirius. It was a handsome mahogany chess set –Sirius had been coaching Lily to beat Remus for the past month. There was a note:

_Don't worry Evans, this isn't it. You should be pleased to know I've subscribed you to Playwitch. _

_ You know you love me,_

_ Sirius_

Lily laughed_. _James peered over her shoulder at the note.

"Sorry about that."

"Nah, it's alright."

James grinned at the bag of Zonko's products he'd gotten from Peter and practically drooled over Remus's gift, a miniature Quidditch pitch complete with tiny hovering players you could direct and two tiny Bludgers you could barely see until they struck you quite painfully without warning. He had barely unwrapped Sirius' gift, however, when he glanced guiltily at Lily and shoved it behind him. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What'd Sirius get you, then?" she asked suspiciously.

"Tickets to the next Magpies match."

"James, I was there when he gave those to you early, he was so excited."

"Oh, well, you know Sirius. Bit of a jokester, that prat. But we put up with him anyways –" Lily reached behind him and pulled out a box on which Sirius had written:

_These came free with Lily's Playwitch subscription. Thought you'd appreciate them more. Think of them as a little something extra to tide you over until Magpies v. Harpies. _

_Padfoot_

It was a deck of Exploding Snap cards, each card emblazoned with a scantily-clad _Playwizard_ covergirl. Lily laughed.

"You're not upset?" James asked, apparently stunned.

"No, of course not," said Lily. "It's just for a laugh, isn't it?" She peered at him. "Why, should I be?"

"Oh, er, well, I'm glad you see it that way. I just expected some rant about not objectifying women or something about that," said James tentatively.

"I'm willing to forgive that, since Sirius is already a so unapologetically chauvinistic pig."

"Oh."

"Yes." James cleared his throat.

"Well, are you going to open my gift?" he asked finally, raising an eyebrow. "It won't bite, promise." Lily rolled her eyes, remembering the biting teacups he'd given Sirius on his birthday.

"It better not," said Lily, though she gave him a small smile before accepting the silvery bag she'd seen a few days ago and gently removing the purple tissue paper. Inside lay a flat velvet box, about twice as long as it was wide.

Lily tremulously lifted it out and gasped. The case opened to reveal a delicate necklace of the purest silver, from which hung a pendant containing some sort of bright light. Looking closer, Lily could see a tiny stag bounding away within.

"James, this is beautiful," she murmured, heart sinking at the thought of her own shabby gift. He smiled and gazed at her expectantly. She lifted up her hair and allowed him to lift the pendant from its case to clasp it behind her neck, shuddering slightly when he gently brushed away a few stray hairs. Immediately, Lily felt the most curious warmth and elation spreading through her body.

"Is this -?" she began questioningly.

"There's a Patronus in the pendant," explained James immediately. "In DADA, I kept thinking about what Professor Cleary saying, that even if you can cast a Patronus a lot of the time it won't come if you're upset or confronting more than one Dementor. The boys and I figured it'd be nice to enchant something _with _the Patronus, find a modification that would make it a long-term Protection Charm. We've been experimenting for the past year, but the best we could figure out was Patronus storage. We only worked out the kinks last month. The thing is, in storage it's still not nearly as powerful as a freshly-cast charm, but it'll definitely make casting the charm easier when you're overwhelmed. And also –" James cleared his throat awkwardly, not making eye contact "it kind of cheers you up a bit, when you touch it."

"So this is your Patronus, then?" asked Lily haltingly, pausing once more to gaze at the regal stag within.

"Er, yeah," said James, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously.

"Thank you, James," she said sincerely.

"I'm glad you like it," he replied earnestly, without a trace of his usual smirk or self-assuredness. She reached forward for the final gift under the tree, a gold-foil covered square.

"This is for you," she said shyly. "I'm afraid it isn't much, but…" her voice trailed off.

He was already tearing off the packaging, revealing the photo album it contained. She'd spent hours on this scarlet book, embossing comments and remarks here and there in gold. The album contained pictures –almost all of them candid –of the two of them together. James turned quickly to the first page.

There was the picture of her with green hair and James laughing his head off which Sirius had snapped back in first year. She was fuming, her eyes were mere slits and patches of pink bloomed across her cheeks. Picture Lily slapped James across the face. Below, Lily had written,_ I don't regret it one bit_.

There was the first Quidditch match James had ever played in, after which Lily had embraced him only to back away in shock and confusion. Lily had begrudgingly scrawled, _Nice flying, Potter. _

The next picture skipped to their sixth year, when Lily and James had displayed a few rare moments of camaraderie leading a snowball fight, Gryffindor v. Slytherin. Only moments later, picture Lily was no longer beaming at James but scowling at him as he asked her if this meant she'd changed her mind about Hogsmeade. _We kicked Slytherin ass. Then I kicked yours. _

There was Lily and James spread-eagled on the ice after Sirius had crashed into them both, Lily and James darkened by soot after James decided to experiment with adding powdered dung beetle to their Veritaserum, Lily stomping on James' foot after he handed her a particularly lewd Valentine's Day card…

"Where did you _get_ all of these?" James asked hoarsely, completely baffled.

"Our friends enjoy keeping mementos of our suffering," said Lily simply, shrugging. James turned again.

Lily accidentally shoving James into the trick step and then falling in herself as she tried to help him out, Lily smiling slightly as James flew by on his broomstick with an umbrella to shield her from that rainy day in October, everyone –the Marauders, Marlene and Hestia too, in their Halloween costumes –_I still insist that my Snitch costume and the fact you hadn't changed out of your Quidditch uniform yet was complete coincidence –_Lily sleeping in the Library, with James as the delighted photographer, Lily high-fiving Sirius and James after nearly beating Remus at wizard's chess, then the both of them covered in Stinksap after Sirius and Peter had set up a bucketful to levitate above the Heads' portrait hole. They were both smiling resignedly for Hestia despite the mess –James had his arm draped casually around Lily's shoulder –until Lily spotted Sirius chuckling behind a suit of armor and sprinted after him, James not far behind…

James had not said a word for a long time. Lily wondered if he was simply disappointed, but his eyes continued to scan each page almost hungrily.

Lily looking worried sick as she sat by James' bedside in the Hospital Wing after his Quidditch accident…_Give me a scare like that again, Potter, and you'll be wishing for a Bludger to the head, _James and Lily at the Ball they'd put together –clinking Butterbeer glasses and laughing merrily –_We did alright, didn't we?_, James giving Lily a foot massage that same night after she moaned about the disastrous effects of high heels on her feet_. I never want to hear about this incident again. _

"Lily," James hesitated, unsure of what to say. He flipped to the next page, where, centered in the middle was the picture of him in his absurd hat. Underneath, _Here's to filling up the rest of these pages. _

"How did you -?"

"I linked my camera to the book, bit of a hybrid Protean and Switching Charm," said Lily sheepishly. He gazed at her, awe-struck. "Anyone could have figured it out," shrugged Lily.

"You're brilliant," he breathed.

"No, I'm not." James' brows furrowed in confusion, and Lily herself tensed, not sure where this was coming from. She continued, "I've been a total prat, James, and for that I'm sorry."

"Lily, you have nothing to apologize for –"

"No. I do. I've been wasting both our time, trying to hold on to something that could never be –all because I –I was a coward, and a fool." Lily was approaching the point of no return. She took a deep breath. "I don't want to be just friends anymore, James. I like you. I really, really, like you, and I want to see where –where whatever this _thing_ we have can go." She gazed at him earnestly, searching his blank expression for any hint of approval. For a long, it seemed he had nothing to say.

And then he pulled her close –she could feel the warmth emanating from his body through his jumper. "I was going to tell you that photo album was the best gift I've ever received," he said in a low voice, looking into her eyes, "but this is much, _much, _better."

And then he kissed her. And she didn't know how or why but her hands were quickly grasping urgently at his hair and his cupping her face so tenderly and it may have been seconds, minutes, hours –Lily could not think, could not even remember where she was, so overloaded were her senses. Her heart seemed to be beating a mile a minute, and when he tangled his fingers in her hair –is _this _what she'd been missing out on for all these years? At long last, they broke apart, James' arms still wrapped tightly around her.

"Happy Christmas, Lily."

"Happy Christmas, James."

* * *

><p>"You <em>did <em>snog him after all! After all your griping, you went and took my advice –"

"SHUT _UP, _MARLENE!"

* * *

><p><strong>I had a lot of fun with this one. Kinda sad this is it...look out for a lot more from me after New Year's, though. Depending on how fluffyangsty it is, you'll probably be able to tell whether or not I got into college, haha. **

**Have a magical holiday!**

**Leenie**


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